PASS THE FE ELECTRICAL
EXAM. EARN YOUR PE.

Most US licensing boards require an EAC/ABET-accredited degree. Students who are close to finishing such a program are also eligible to sit for the exam. If your program is not ABET-accredited — which is common for international institutions — NCEES offers a Credentials Evaluation service that compares your academic background to ABET standards and shares the results directly with your chosen state licensing board.

Yes — and this is one of the most important things international engineers need to know. NCEES has agreements with approved testing partners in Canada (Alberta via APEGA), Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Turkey, Japan, and others. You test at a local Pearson VUE center near you. Alberta candidates must receive APEGA approval before registering with NCEES. Our mentorship covers every international-specific requirement in full, including credential evaluation and state board selection.

You may attempt the FE exam once per testing window — there are four windows per year (Jan–Mar, Apr–Jun, Jul–Sep, Oct–Dec). NCEES limits you to no more than three attempts within any 12-month period. If you do not pass, you receive a diagnostic report showing your performance across every knowledge domain. That report is invaluable — it tells you exactly where to focus your re-study effort before the next attempt.

After passing the FE you earn the Engineer in Training (EIT) designation. You then accumulate 4 years of qualifying engineering experience under the supervision of a licensed PE. Next, you apply to your state licensing board — not NCEES directly — for PE exam approval. Once approved, you register with NCEES, pay the $400 fee, and schedule your PE exam at a Pearson VUE center. Your state board issues the PE license after you pass. Our FE → PE Full Track mentorship walks every step of this journey with you.

NCEES approves only three calculator families — your model name must match exactly:

Casio: All fx-115 and fx-991 models
Hewlett Packard: HP 33s and HP 35s only
Texas Instruments: All TI-30X and TI-36X models

Calculator covers and spare calculators must be stored in your assigned locker at the test center. No exceptions are made. The list is reviewed annually — always verify at ncees.org before exam day.

There is no single national PE license — each US state grants its own. However, most states offer PE reciprocity: once you pass the NCEES PE exam in one state, you can apply for licensure in additional states without retaking the exam. Engineers with 7+ years of experience (including 2 years in responsible charge) who hold an NCEES Record may also apply for the NCEES International Registry for recognition in partner countries outside the US.

Absolutely yes — and this question is personal to me. I came from Ghana and earned my PE license in the United States. The process for international engineers involves NCEES Credentials Evaluation (which assesses whether your degree meets ABET equivalency), selecting a US state board that is accessible to international applicants, and following the same FE → EIT → PE path as domestic candidates. The door is genuinely open. ShaiLearning's International Engineer Track was built specifically to remove the guesswork from this process.